KEY POINTS:
A man shouted "white power" and yelled an obscenity as he was led to the Oamaru District Court yesterday to face charges relating to an alleged 600km crime spree.
The man and a woman, travelling with two toddlers, were arrested on Monday after a dramatic chase during which they allegedly shot at police.
The 25-year-old unemployed man and a 20-year-old woman company director faced six joint charges of using a firearm against police.
They had allegedly shot at officers while road spikes were set up during a Bonnie and Clyde-style chase near Palmerston in north Otago on Monday.
They were also jointly charged with failing to stop for police and stealing a Land Rover from Picton.
Outside the court after the couple's appearance, the officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Sergeant Mike Ryder, of Oamaru, said investigations were still in the early stages.
He did not want to give specific details of further charge, but expected "a large number" relating to the couple's behaviour in the days leading up to the Palmerston incident.
Justice of the Peace Bill Saxton granted both defendants interim name suppression. He also granted interim suppression of the names of the six police officers allegedly shot at.
Both defendants, with their consent, were remanded in custody without plea to reappear in the Oamaru court on February 18.
They arrived at the court together, but segregated, in a white van, individually handcuffed to separate police officers throughout, including in court.
As the man was led from the police van to the courthouse, he responded to a question from gathered news media with gestures, yelling an obscenity and "white power". Both remained silent in court and when they were returned to the van.
Mr Ryder said the two children - aged 18 months and 3 - who were in the Land Rover when it crashed at Palmerston, and were then carried by the couple until they surrendered to police, had been placed in the care of Child Youth and Family and would stay there while the couple were in custody.
He did not want to speculate what would happen to them after that.
- OTAGO DAILY TIMES
